Thai parliament to elect new premier Wednesday

By Omer Faruk Yildiz

BANGKOK (AA) - Thai parliament will elect the country’s prime minister on Wednesday.

According to reports, the candidates for the prime minister office are pro-junta incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a young politician leading the Future Forward Party.

Thanathorn managed to obtain the votes of the young population and currently has 80 lawmakers in the parliament; however, he was temporarily suspended from performing his lawmaker duty based on the accusations of violating the election laws.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party, represented by 53 lawmakers in the parliament, announced on Tuesday that it would support the pro-junta coalition led by Palang Pracharant Party, which is presided by Prayut Chan-o-cha.

According to the constitutional amendment approved in 2017 following a referendum, 500 members of the House of Representatives and 250 members of the Senate will vote to determine the country’s prime minister.

The candidates need to receive at least 376 votes from both bodies to be elected.

The Senate -- whose members were appointed by the junta administration -- are expected to give full support to incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, whose party obtained 115 seats in general elections.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas